SAWFISH HARPOONED.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 22 October 1926, Page 8

SAWFISH HARPOONED.

MONSTER CAUGHT AT MANLY.

A THRILLING FIGHT. HANDED OVER TO MUSEUM. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 15 One of the largest sawfish ever captured in Australian waters was harpooned in daring fashion by Manly Surf Club members off Manly Beach on Sunday. The monster measured 18ft 2in from tip of saw to tail, and the saw alone was 4ft 9in long. The fish was harpooned after a thrilling hunt, and though apparently sick from some cause, put up a fight.

Six members of the club were in the surf boat, cruising round, and waiting for a big wave to take them ashore, when one of them, looking over the side, noticed the huge shape moving slowly along close to the sandy bottom. It was thought that the fish was an outsize in sharks, and as there were some hundreds of people in the surf at the time, men on the shark" tower were signalled, and the shark bell was rung to warn the bathers. They needed no second alarm, and were all out on the beach within five minutes.

In the meantime, one of the boatmen was landed on the nearby and while he was away procuring the harpoon, the other men in the boat manoeuvred the big fish into the channel which leads to the beach. This wae no easy j matter, but when their mate reitfirnea with the harpoon, they had the fish where they wanted it. Nevertheless it took three attempts before they were able to send the harpoon through the monster's head between the eyes. At the touch of the harpoon the sawfish lashed about with its tail, nearly upsetting the boat, and then turned and made a dash at the boat with its saw, the sweepman nearly being transfixed as> the weapon rasped over the side of the boat.

When the harpoon struck, however, the men in the boat threw over a considerable length of slack rope, anticipating a long drawn-out fight. In ite desperate efforts to get free, the sawfish became entangled in the rope, and it was to that good fortune the men in the boat owed their easy capture. The big fish put up a great struggle under difficulties, and almost escaped into a hole under the rocks. Heavy blows and digs from the sweeps brought it out again, and eventually it was dragged ashore. Thousands of interested spectators crowded round to view the curiosity, and some, who ventured too close, were swept from their feet when the monster swished its tail round.

An enterprising member of the club saw a good opportunity, and a section of the beach was quickly covered in with hessian. Those members of the public who were still curious were charged a silver coin admission to inspect the sawfish, and by that means the club benefited to the extent of £80—almost sufficient to purchase a new surf boat.

Authorities from the Sydney Museum who hurried down to view the catch officially stated that it was a remarkable feat to have landed such a monster in so easy a fashion. They claimed that it was one of the largest ever caught in Australian waters, or, for that matter, in the world, as the sawfish rarely grows I larger than 20ft.

After the club had finished showing it, the sawfish was handed over to the Museum authorities, and they have already made arrangements to stuff the skin and place it in the collection. A feature of the catch was the presence on the ekin of the sawfish of several ["suckers," which were most difficult to remove.